Wednesday, October 30, 2013

fear and loathing in the happiest place on earth


In a world where fiction films are scrubbed clean of logos by the producers for fear of being sued, it is truly refreshing to see someone stick their neck out. The makers of Escape From Tomorrow certainly did, by shooting most of their psychological horror comedy on-location in Disney theme parks without permission from the notoriously litigious corporation.  

Reviews I've read of the film were mixed, focusing on its effectiveness as a parody. There is more to it, however, than an attempt to skewer Walt Disney Corp. The film tells the story of a father's downward spiral in the "Happiest Place on Earth" after he just learned he lost his job and can no longer provide for his children. It is superbly scored and visually rich, shot in cinema-vérité style black and white close-ups with low-fi but effective special effects. Although the script is a bit uneven, the overall effect of menace and the omnipresent theme of fantasy run amok more than make up for its shortcomings, in my view.  

As described in this interview, the story idea was inspired by writer/director Randy Moore's own childhood visits to Disney World with his father. The opening scene, in which the main character (father Jim White, played by Roy Abramsohn) is deliberately locked out on the hotel balcony in his underwear by his resentful young son, foreshadows the climax. In other scenes, Jim ogles a pair of French teenage girls, gets inebriated at an Oktoberfest show, and slurs out an apology to his wife and children after drunkenly puking out the side of a ride. Moments like this, though couched in an absurd fantasy, still have depth and strangely even ring true to life.

Filmmakers often like to say that their work speaks for itself, but in the 21st Century, when backstory about a given production is readily available and great spec scripts are often inspired by first-hand experiences, I think this movie's context is just as important as its concept.

Escape From Tomorrow is in theatres now. If you're a fan of cult classics, I highly recommend getting out of the house and supporting the box office rather than streaming it illegally. At the risk of sounding preachy, in order for films like this to get made there needs to be a market for them.